


The News

by dayishujia



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Under the Red Hood
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-23
Updated: 2014-05-23
Packaged: 2018-01-26 07:04:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1679150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dayishujia/pseuds/dayishujia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Dick heard the news, he didn’t believe it because there was no way it could have possibly been true.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The News

When Dick heard the news, he didn’t believe it because there was no way it could have possibly been true. 

It had to have been some kind of stupid, not-thoroughly thought out prank; one of Bruce’s one and only ill-conceived attempt at humor for the year. Bruce’s gags never went down well anyway with him and through the years, Dick just grew used to the crackpot gags and wind-ups his mentor would try just to show he wasn’t all seriousness all the time.

He should have known Bruce never joked about death. 

But Dick laughed anyway; a light, faint chuckle that neither of them really believed. “C’mon, Bruce,” he said with a wavering voice, trying to pass off his fraying nerves as anything but a bad sign. He tried to keep the smile on his face the best he could, but it was increasingly becoming difficult. “That isn’t funny, Bruce. Where is he?”

Bruce was silent.

Dick gave the man a look and walked past him, deeper into the Cave. The grin was still on his face, wavering more and more as the seconds ticked by with no sight of hide or tail of his Little Wing. Besides the unnerving silence, nothing in the Cave looked out of place. Everything was in good order, so it had to have been just a stupid joke. 

It had to.

Jason was always good at jokes, so it would make sense. He used to tell the best ones Dick ever heard. Even the not very funny ones were enough to make him crack a smile at least. And the way he howled at his own jokes was enough to make Dick’s heart swell and his love for his newfound little brother grow. But none of his jests were ever as cruel as this one was.

But the Cave was silent and Jason was nowhere to be seen.

It was becoming increasingly harder to ignore the chills creeping up his spine or the unnerving way his stomach turned. Jason, although witty and good at jokes, was never good at being quiet for so long, he should have turned up by now, laughing that laugh of his to the point tears formed in his eyes and croaking out, “You should have seen your face!” and “I got you good!”, holding his stomach with the force of it all.

“I’m sorry, Dick,” Bruce rasped out, voice weary and tired.

Dick turned to look at the taller, older man. With his cowl finally pulled back, he could see the darkness forming under the man’s blue eyes, the tiredness of the lines that etched his face, the turn of the frown on his lips. 

“This,” Dick swallowed hard, past the knot forming tightly in his throat. “This isn’t a joke… is it?”

Bruce didn’t move. He didn’t so much as budge as the world came crashing down around Dick in a spectacular heap. His little brother, his feisty, know-it-all little brother, the kid he was supposed to take care of, was gone. 

“It’s not true,” Dick shakily whispered, “It cannot be true.” He rubbed his palms over his face, pressing extra rough against his eyes, as if trying to keep the tears he felt welling up at bay. He took a deep breath, counted to ten and let it out, calming his rapidly beating heart for only a second. “Where’s Alfred?”

“He’s organizing the paperwork,” Bruce said, stripping off his cowl and cape. 

“When…” Dick gasped out miserably. It was increasingly becoming harder to breathe. “When…?”

Bruce was quiet for a moment and Dick’s mind raced. The older man put aside his costume and walked toward the large computer system he had rigged up in the Cave. He had a report to write up on the night’s criminal activities. It was only after the second time Dick asked did he receive an answer. “Three days ago.”

“Three,” Dick breathed, suddenly feeling nauseous. A hand flew to his stomach and the other to his head; he probably looked like a diva but he couldn’t bring himself to worry about appearances. Not in a situation such as this. “Three days… why am I only hearing about this now? Don’t you think I deserve to know? To know immediately? This isn’t just some kid we’re talking about here!” Dick felt winded and absently worried about passing out there in the middle of the Cave. “This is… this is…” 

“There was nothing you could have done.” Bruce’s voice was still blank and stoic as ever and it did everything but calm or comfort Dick.

Dick blinked stupidly, staring at the back of the man’s head. “’Nothing I could have’…. I could have tried!” Dick’s voice was steadily rising in volume despite himself. He didn’t mean to yell, he didn’t want to, but what else could he do? His little brother, his friend, was dead for three days, and he was only just finding out about it. “There had to ‘ve been something! I’m not completely useless! I-I.. I could’ve tried!” 

“There,” Bruce said again, voice cracking only slightly. He took a breath and smoothed back his slick-with-sweat hair. “There was nothing that you could have done.” 

“How do you know?” Dick cried, tears were already falling and he didn’t know when they began. “He… he was my brother…! What kind of brother am I? I wasn’t there for him! I didn’t even know he was gone for… for days! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It’s,” Bruce began, still not moving or turning to look at his young companion. Dick wasn’t sure if it was out of pride or shame. “It’s not your fault.” 

And suddenly, the Cave was too stifling, too cold and Dick felt like he was drowning. In his mind’s eye, he could see Jason bounding around the place, jumping from the highest points to see if he could make the landing without breaking anything and hiding in the darkest corners to see if he could scare Bruce, just one time. 

“I” Dick choked on a sob. It was all too much for Dick, suffocating in the memories and the knowledge that he wasn’t there for Jason the one time it truly mattered. “I need to go.” 

With that, Dick stumbled his way out of the Cave as fast as his weary feet could carry him. He wasn’t sure where he was going to go, but he knew he couldn’t stay there. 

Jason was dead.

Dick would never see his precious baby brother again.


End file.
